Freelance journalist Shiori Ito filed a damages suit against ruling party member Mio Sugita on Thursday, accusing the lawmaker of liking many tweets defaming her and causing her emotional distress.
In the suit filed with the Tokyo District Court, the 31-year-old journalist sought ¥2.2 million in damages.
In a country where few sexual assault victims come forward, Ito has become a symbol of Japan's movement against sexual abuse after going public with a rape accusation against Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a former Washington bureau chief of Tokyo Broadcasting System Television Inc.